ACCESS TO public benefitS: Cash assistance

People have a right to access public benefits. Below you can find data sources to help determine your access levels.

Public assistance refers to assistance programs from any governmental entity that provide either cash assistance or in-kind benefits to individuals and families in need. Cash assistance is a type of public assistance, typically referred to as social welfare. Benefits received from social welfare programs are usually based on a low-income, means-tested eligibility criteria. Means-tested programs are available only to persons with very few resources in the form of income or assets.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a social welfare, means-tested cash assistance program that guarantees a minimum level of income for needy, aged, blind, or disabled individuals. Applicants must meet income and resource requirements to qualify for SSI payments, and those younger than 65 must additionally meet the Social Security Act’s definition of disability. Unlike Social Security benefits, SSI benefits are not based on your or a family member’s prior work. In most states, anyone who receives SSI benefits is automatically eligible for Medicaid. About 1/2 of SSI recipients also receive food stamps and approximately 1/4 of recipients live in public housing or receive housing assistance, such as vouchers.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a social welfare, means-tested cash assistance program that provides grant funds to states and territories for families in need of financial assistance and related support services (childcare, work assistance, job preparation).

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipients provides county-level data for every state, including:

  • Number of recipients (by eligibility category and age)

  • Amount of monthly payments

  • Recipients also receiving OASDI (Social Security) Many recipients receiving SSI also qualify for OASDI. SSI is additional cash assistance.

SSI Recipients Instructions: Open Site > Scroll to Table 3 by State > Scroll to select your state > Under Available formats, choose the icon (web page, pdf, or Excel) of which format you would like to view or download data. Data is also available for regions and states.

U.S. Census Bureau provides county-level data on the total number of families (and family dynamics, i.e. “married couple” or “female householder, no spouse present”) living in poverty and receiving Social Security Income, by SSI and other Cash Public Assistance Income.

U.S. Census Instructions: Open Site > Scroll down to Table 3 by State > Click Geos in the top tool bar > Scroll to select County > Select your state > Select your county > X out of Geos > Minimize the left-hand side bar (shows 1 Result) by clicking the double arrow icon > This allows you to see your county results.

You can select multiple counties at once. They will be displayed side by side. Some states have data available for County Subdivision. You can also view any data larger than counties, such as Congressional District or Metropolitan/Micropolitan Statistical Area. To export data choose More Tools on the top tool bar, right-hand side. You can choose to download your data in an Excel, CSV, or ZIP format.

TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES

TANF Recipient Characteristics & Financial Circumstances provides state-level data on participants in the TANF program, including information on:

  • Adult recipients and number of children

  • Child recipients

  • Race and ethnicity

  • Type of public assistance program (medical assistance, subsidized housing or childcare, SNAP)

Note: For county-level data, search for your state TANF program (e.g. South Carolina TANF county data). Not every state will have this information available. We suggest reaching out to your state TANF office, which may be housed in the Department of Social Services, Department of Health/Human Services, or the Department of Children & Families.

TANF Interactive Map allows you to download a fact sheet, providing state information on:

  • TANF-to-poverty ratio: Number of families receiving TANF benefits for every 100 poor families with children

  • State monthly benefit levels

  • State share of spending on basic assistance